WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 13

Is it really week 13 already?

This past week has been okay for me in the healthy choices department.
Well, I take that back.  I think I did well in portion control but maybe lacked in the nutritional department.  J was out of town for work and I ate a lot of quick-and-easy foods which in my book is often the same thing as little-to-no-veggies foods.
I got in some low-impact exercise via neighborhood walks, but that's about it.

I felt good walking in to my meeting today.  I wasn't sure if I would be up or down but I didn't feel any bigger.

I ended up being down a nice amount and it felt good.  I was hoping to hit 50 for my meetings (they only count the weight you've lost from the first time you step on a scale in a meeting, not your home) but I wasn't there quite yet.
I will be back, though.  I will see this through.

Speaking of seeing things through, I have to give a BIG shout-out to my girl Melissa for completing a half-marathon this past weekend!

She started running (for the first time in her life!) a mere 7 months ago.
Back then, she started with running 2 minutes at a time.  She would run 2 minutes, walk, run 2 minutes, walk.  You get the drift.  
Look how far she has come!  Her story and example is inspirational to me and should be to others.

I've learned in the last year that it's not enough just to know the path.  You have to walk it. (Or run it, in Melissa's case!)

How are my Challenge members today?

Twin Turbos

Today I met my friend Jennifer and her 5-year-old twins at a local park.

Jen has been a good friend to me and I was looking forward to trying my hand at capturing her and her fun (aka, very energetic) children on film. :)

We started at the playground.  Nathan is laying on TOP of a tunnel all other children probably just crawl through.  I doubt BigBoy would even think to climb up on this, let alone actually do it.

Nathan's pretty sister Elly hangs right in there with him.

I think she waffles back and forth between being a wild child and a mama's girl.  :)

After the playground we strolled down to the lake front where they fed ducks and threw sticks for a lucky dog on a walk with his owner.

Right now these beautiful blondes seem to be the best of friends.

Like all siblings, they can argue and fight.
But in these precious fleeting years, they are just as likely to love and embrace.

"Not double trouble, but twice blessed." ~Author unknown

Straight Talk

Today I had my hair styled straight.  I can't do it at home because it is a long process of concentrated hair-drying, serums, and a flat-iron.  I just don't care enough about doing it to put in the effort on a regular basis.  

Today I went to Great Clips and they styled it straight for me.  It should last a couple more days because my hair takes a long time to get oily.

Just thought I'd share these awful night-time-and-me-holding-the-camera-in-my-bathroom-mirror pics because I know most of you have never seen me sans-big hair. 

 I'm not using the flash so the pics were all are pretty grainy.

I think you get the drift.

I feel like a different person without my curls.  Like I need a sign that says "Curly hair to return at:" next to one of those little adjustable clocks you see by the mall Santas.
Not that I think there is anything wrong with straight hair!  Heck, I coveted it for years!

Anyway, I like it, I just don't feel like the same curl.  ;)

I think that's okay for a couple days, though.

Food for Thought

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 12

Hello Hello!  I'm here once again for WW Wednesday.  Still not going anywhere and glad for it.

This past week I broke all the rules and lost weight.  My aunt came for a visit and I did not work out or eat right, so I think I just got lucky.
Sometimes I have an unexpected gain and sometimes an unexpected loss -- just part of the game I suppose.

Today I feel good. I feel really good.  I hit the 60-pounds lost mark today!

For those of you playing along at home, that's 4 months to lose the last 10 pounds.

wow...

That's why I don't give up.
Yes, it took 4 months but that doesn't matter in the end.  All that matters is that I get there.

I could get there much faster if I was "perfect," but we are talkin sustainable weight-loss here, people.
In real life there is back-and-forth, ups-and-downs, and appetizer-entree-dessert everything in between.

So, where are the rest of my Challenge participants this week?

* Photos are from our Sunday drive to Kure Beach and the NC Aquarium at Ft. Fisher.  Luckily I used my new point-n-shoot because my camera was flung into the water at one point!

WW Wednesday: 20 in 20 - Week 11

A lot of things are different this week:

1. It is not Wednesday (Friday night).

2. I went to my meeting but did not weigh-in.

3. I'm typing this in bed on my phone.

4. It is after 10 and yet both of my children are still awake in their rooms silently playing on their beds by the glow of their nightlight -- no matter how many times I tell them to go to sleep.  Last night they were out by 7.

5. Not one person asked about my lack of a WW post this week and that was disappointing.

6. I am not clever after 10 pm.

So, how did my Challenge people do this week? 

The babies and the bees.

Yesterday was too gorgeous to be inside the house all day, so we decided to go to the zoo for a while.  

The animals we attempted to see were mostly reclusive but we did see a new exhibit -- the BEES.

This was a replica of a honey comb BigBoy thought was cool.

And I thought was a little creepy. There were live bees we saw, too, but I didn't get any pics of them.

He saw some other kids take a picture on this stump and the little ham wanted to do it too.

BabyCakes wasn't really feelin it.

A nice lady saw us taking the the photos and asked if we'd like a whole-family shot, a VERY RARE thing for us.

BabyCakes is mid-screech, but it still ain't half bad, huh?